fermenting Would anyone say there are certain milemarkers in fermentation?

[ProjectileTeeth]

Just curious. I'm still new to experimenting with fermentation. I made a couple batches of fermented reaper sauce, and fermented chocolate habanero sauce last year, and both turned out nice and funky. I let them both go two months before processing.

Now I'm fermenting a one gallon container of mango/onion/pepper/lemon/oregano/garlic/idkwhatelse and my container isn't great for fermenting. It bubbled over, broke the seal on the water lock, and there was a ton of salt all around the top of the lid. Before, I was using 1 quart mason jars, and I didn't have any problems with the ferment exploding/bubbling over. This one, though, I don't think I had enough head space.

SO. I can either dump some out, and continue fermenting, or move some of it to another jar, continue fermenting, or just straight-up process it all now. It's only been one month.

What difference is there between one month and two? What difference is there between a month and a year as far as fermenting flavor? Is it significant? Is it worth waiting? I have no idea. I'm impatient. But I mean, at what point should I call it quits, or at what point should I say, "just a few more months, and it's golden?" Does it consistently age and grow in flavor, or does it take a significant amount of time for a difference to be noticeable?

I'm not saying I can't tell the difference between a fermented sauce and a vinegar-based sauce, but I have no idea how fermented sauces differ from one another if made similarly, but aged and processed separately.

I guess if I'm really curious, I could conduct such an experiment myself, but I'm just curious. My hot sauce ferment has been bubbling/brewing for 28 days. I'd wait longer, but the container sucks, so I'm eager to process it.

 

[ADRUNKK]

Day 2 or 3 is a mile marker to me, when you see that fermentation kick off so you know the colony has started well.
 
Approx week 2 is one as well. Thats when i notice the ferm really slows down. If things start to get yeasty here I'll stop a ferm but If I can make it to week 4 I'm happier. I haven't done a 45 or a 90 day yet. I will one day but I'm always to anxious to make a new sauce.

 

[ProjectileTeeth]

Alright, I opened it up and processed it. The funk was good; no kahm yeast, no mold. I blended it, boiled it, and gave it a taste. Found out I completely fucked up the brine. I think I estimated it at 7% (I don't have a kitchen scale, but I plan to get one soon). Way too salty. Didn't know what to do to dilute it other than add water, but I didn't want to dilute the heat, so I added a cup of vinegar and two cups of brown sugar and put it on the stove. Turned out a little better, but it still wasn't that great.

It's too bad, cause I made a whole gallon of the stuff, and now I have 19 5oz bottles. IDK if I should give it away, or what. I shouldn't have bottled it at all, but I convinced myself it was better than it is.

I think if I were to attempt something like this again, I'd ferment only the peppers, then use fresh fruit. Somehow the mango flavor was completely lost over the course of fermentation, and I didn't add those to the jar until they were extremely ripe. 

 

[ADRUNKK]

If you were to attempt it again spend 10 bucks on a scale and weigh out your salt. Then your spot on and don't have something to salty. I don't know how to fix to salty.

 

[Cartierusm]

Usually in cooking you put in a potato and it'll soak up the sodium. Not sure if that'll work with pepper sauce.